How Luya Poetry Became A Space For Chicago S Poets Of Color

     Chris Aldana, 27, inspires Chicagoans—especially many who are  LGBTQ and people of color—to listen to each other’s words.

So, she decided to do something about it and, in July 2018, created Luya. The following interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.How did you come up with the name “Luya?”I knew that I wanted to use a word that was from my language and my culture. I was at AFIRE, a community organization here that does immigrant rights and domestic worker rights, and they had posters on the wall from a previous workshop about food. There was a brainstorm on one wall that was talking about healing and different ingredients. It said, “luya,” and then underneath it said, “ginger,” and I was like, “I didn’t know that [luya] was the word for ginger in Tagalog (a language spoken in the Philippines). That sounds really beautiful.” Most of our cultures, if not all, use ginger in their cuisine, and then also believe ginger to have healing properties. That’s what I feel like poetry can be for people. It’s like an avenue for healing, for spiritual nourishment.

With featured poet Kristina Kim. Wed 3/11, 7:30 PM, ISA Studios, Gallery Unit, 1750 S. Union, facebook.com/luyapoetry, $5 suggested donation.